This article was originally written by Nathalia Cardiel on November 3, 2026 and translated to English by Daniela Mendez.
Navigating through physical and personal wellness during chaotic times, while experiencing university life, isn’t an easy task. For most, this is the first time where people have true exposure to the importance of maintaining good fitness and taking care of their well-being.
With that in mind, UT offers TeXercise through the department of Recreational Sports and the Fitness + Wellness program, which include group exercise classes that help promote a healthy lifestyle and good physical fitness.
Maddie Kuehne, assistant director for Fitness + Wellness, says, “We want to offer a program of fun and pleasant movement that’s accessible to students.” Note that the goal of Rec Sports is “education through recreation” and they want “people to come out of classes feeling more educated about how their bodies move and how to improve exercise and movement in the future.” TeXercise offers around 125 classes per week with different forms of group classes, including a Latin Cardio Dance class. Latin Cardio Dance is formatted for people to learn basic choreography to the beat of Latin and International music.
Erika Martinez, TeXercise and Latin Cardio Dance instructor for over 7 years, says, “I think nowadays people are more open to knowing other cultures and here in UT we have lots of cultures and a big Latin community.”
Having been born in Mexico, she likes to bring and emphasize her culture to the program. “I think that even if you’re not Latino, it opens you to the culture, and it’s incredible to share my culture and simultaneously let other people feel identified with that as well.”
This class is focused on Latin style because of its music and movement. Martinez says that “I call it Latino because all my songs are Latin, including Portuguese. I like to offer a good sample of what the class will entail so I include genres like bachata, salsa, reggaeton, and even music from different decades.”
The class incorporates different rhythms and dance styles that allow the participants to experiment different forms of movement. Martinez says, “I like diversifying as much as possible so there’s a little bit of everything.”
Likewise, this class is accessible to all levels of exercise. Kuehne explains that Rec Sports trains their instructors to adapt the classes so its participants can perform the movements at their own pace. Kuehne says, “We always tell our constructors to think of it as a conversation.”
Furthermore, Erika mentions that as an instructor, it’s a science to know what to provide for everyone because each individual wants different things and has distinct necessities. She says, “You have to be inclusive towards everyone. You want to push them but also want to make them feel comfortable and not like they’re excluded.”
This is a stage in life where students are confronted with different academic and personal responsibilities, so finding a way to stay active is something truly valuable. Through classes like Latin Cardio Dance, Recreational Sports looks to offer this while making it accessible for everyone. “The foundation of all our classes is fun, enjoyment, and happiness, so more than anything else that’s how we want the people to leave each class, feeling a sense of accomplishment and Latin Dance does a great job of making people feel this way,” Kuehne says.
For Martinez, the impact this class has traverses physical activity. As an instructor, she hopes participants find a space where they can connect with others and leave aside all the responsibilities they have outside of the studio, even if it’s for a moment.
“I hope they feel a certain closeness towards me and the group, that they are eager [to come] each week, and they can forget about everything there is on the outside,” says Martinez.
